1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with a centrifugal ore separation device particularly designed for use in separating gold and so-called "black sand" from mine output. More particularly, it is concerned with such a separator which is advantageously used in conjunction with other separation equipment on a flatbed trailer or the like which can be easily moved to a mine site.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Man has mined the earth to extract its riches for thousands of years. Although various ores have been sought at different times through the ages, gold has remained as one of the most sought after treasures, and accordingly considerable effort has been expended in developing various techniques and devices to facilitate gold mining and refining.
In certain regions gold is found in conjunction with so-called "black sand" which is a heavy, dark, particulate sand-like collection of minerals, usually magnetite and ilmenite. Other minerals may also be present with the gold and black sand, e.g., platinum and monazite. Black sand is in and of itself a salable commodity, its principal use being in the manufacture of coarse grit sandpaper. Accordingly, in the mining of gold where black sand is also found, it is a common practice to recover both the gold and black sand.
It also frequently occurs that mine sites are located in relatively remote areas, or the amount of ore at a given site may be relatively small. In such cases the expense involved in permanent, on-site construction of refining equipment may be greater than the expected return from mining. Thus, there is a real need for an effective, portable unit for gold or other ore refining.
Of course, the ultimate goal of any mining operation is to maximize the extent of ore and salable by-product recovery with minimum expense and effort. Efficiency of recovery is therefore of prime importance, and a number of prior patents have described various separation devices developed in an attempt to enhance profitable recovery from mining operations. Such U.S. Pat. Nos. include 2,133,271, 3,941,690, 489,101, 126,968, 954,580, 1,042,194, 1,105,294, 1,461,067 and 3,232,426.